The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Motorists stranded for hours in Suleja

     

    Motorists plying the Minna – Suleja-Minna road were once again stranded for hours owing to the reoccurring traffic logjam in Suleja-Minna road.

    For over four hours, vehicles were not moving as they battled with trailers to get to their destination.

    There was no accident on the road but the cause of the logjam was as a result of the trailers plying the road that refused to give way to the smaller vehicles.

    Some passengers had to leave the vehicles they boarded to walk to the front to pick another vehicle for their onward journeys.

    The Suleja-Minna road in recent times has been a nightmare to motorists as the usual two- hour journey to Dikko junction becomes stretched to hours.

    Speaking with The Nation, some of the passengers expressed their frustrations over the situation, wondering why the state government cannot be firm in its resolve to ban trailer off its roads.

    Read Also: Commissioner urges Lagosians to obey traffic laws

    One of the passengers, Hauwa Sani, said she had spent over three hours in the traffic “and there is no sign of the vehicle moving. The government is quite to our pains and this is not fair to us. How can we be suffering this problem all the time. Is it difficult to stop all these trailers from passing here?”

    Another passenger, Mohammed Abdul said: “it is because the governor is not passing this route, that is why he has paid no need to our cry. This is outrageous, that tankers and trailers will hold the people in the state hostage. It is not heard anywhere.”

    Musa Alhassan said: “today is somehow better, at least, it is moving a bit but on Monday, I spent hours here. Imagine I left Abuja by 4pm and got to Minna by 12 midnight. That showed how tight the hold-up was.”

    Men of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and local volunteers had difficult time in trying to help the vehicles move as the trailers were not ready to give way.

  • What you should know about human trafficking

    The US State Department estimates there are 24.9 million human trafficking victims worldwide. This does not occur only in dark alleys. It is happening around the world every day.

    Human trafficking is considered modern-day slavery and there are more slaves today than at any time in history.

    People are forced into harsh employment under horrible conditions, and then have no freedom to leave. They are beaten, violated and told they are worthless—that no one else wants them anymore.

    ”Once a victim who only identified herself as Mary from Imo State Nigeria spoke to our correspondent her ordeal how she was lured by a friend to come meet her in India.

    “I was working with Shoprite in one of the Lagos branches where I was earning up to N50,000 monthly and I was doing well in my own little way, not until my long-time friend [name unknown] asked me, babe, what are you still doing in Nigeria where nothing works?

    “She promised to bring me over to India in three months adding that the process is going to be free that I don’t need to spend any money because the company will take care of my coming,” Mary said.

    “My one month in India was fine and I was hoping to get a job. Two months later, I was forced into prostitution the job my best friend promised me was all lies.

    “I was told that they spend N900,000 for my process coming to India that I need to pay back the money and if i failed I will be jailed,’ i got scared and had no other choice than stick to their threat.

    “My stay in India for two years was a nightmare, I managed to pay off my debt after that I returned to Nigeria early 2019.”

    Poverty

    Poverty alone does not necessarily create vulnerability to trafficking, but when combined with other factors, these can lead to a higher risk of being trafficked. Like in Africa where over 75% are poor and can not afford a better life for themselves and families. These ends as a result of many taking the risk of traveling to the US, Canada, Europ for a better living.

    Human trafficking has become rampage in West Africa like Nigeria where you see young Nigerians deceived by traffickers promising them jobs in Europe and Spain and at the end many of them will end up being sold as a slave in Libya.

    Poor governance

    In the case where bad government, corruption, lack of human right, economic disruption, family disruption, lack of access to education and jobs, insecurity takes over the country and the rate of human trafficking will be high.

    Read Also: Human trafficking: FG launches ‘Not for Sale’ campaign

    It’s A Lucrative Industry

    Along with illegal arms and drug trafficking, human trafficking is one of the largest international crime industries in the world. A report from the International Labor Organization (ILO) says forced labor generates $150 billion in illegal profits per year.

    Two-thirds of that money came from commercial sexual exploitation, while the rest is from forced economic exploitation, including domestic work, agriculture, child labor, and related activities.

    Every continent in the world has been involved in human trafficking, Human trafficking is both a domestic and global crime, with victims trafficked within their own country to neighboring countries and between continents.

    Victims of trafficking can be of any age and any gender

    Women and children are often used for sexual exploitation, while men are more likely to be used for forced labor. Globally, about one in five victims of human trafficking are children. Children are also exploited for the purposes of forced begging, child pornography or child labor.

    All over the world, people are on the move. Many have been forced to become migrants because of conflict and economic instability.

  • South Africa: Xenophobic attacks on foreigners an embarrassment to Africa — Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari said on Friday in Pretoria that the wave of deadly violence against foreign nationals including Nigerians in South Africa last month was an embarrassment to the continent.

    According to details of his speech on the Nigerian presidency’s Twitter page, President Buhari stated this at a town hall meeting with Nigerians living in South Africa.

    In September, rioting and attacks on foreigners led to at least 10 deaths, dozens of injuries and hundreds of arrests, triggering anger at home and abroad.

    “The recent acts of xenophobic attacks on our compatriots and other Africans in South Africa are shocking to me, Nigerians and indeed Africa.

    “It was an embarrassment to the continent.

    “As a government, we are quite disturbed by these very unfortunate events and have taken actions and measures to address this issue and prevent their a recurrence with the South African government,” he added.

    Following the attacks, Buhari ordered the immediate voluntary evacuation of all Nigerians wanting to return home and around 600 people were repatriated.

    Buhari met South African President Cyril Ramaphosa on Thursday.

    Both leaders expressed regret at the violence in South Africa and the subsequent reprisals in Nigeria against South African businesses, pledging instead to deepen trade ties.

    Read Also: Muhammadu Buhari: Slavery still exists – We must take action

    Buhari called for peace at the town hall meeting.

    “The authorities have expressed their apologies over the incidents and have resolved to take necessary steps to end this ugly trend in the interest of our relationship.

    “Let us, therefore, give peace a chance and pray we have seen the last of this ugly violence,” he said.

    (Reuters/NAN)

  • Groom-to-be sexually assaults wedding guest

    Pennsylvania state police say a groom-to-be sexually assaulted one of his guests two days before his wedding.

    Prosecutors say Daniel CarneyDaniel Carney is charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse of an unconscious person and indecent assault. It wasn’t known Friday if the 28-year-old Stroudsburg man has retained an attorney.

    Read Also: Man docked over sexual intercourse with goat

    Authorities say the victim, a 29-year-old Oregon woman, said she was sexually assaulted at a hotel in Smithfield on Aug. 30. The woman told police she was in town to attend Carney’s Sept. 1 wedding and said the assault occurred in a downstairs men’s locker room.

  • Police arraign 2 fuel attendants for allegedly stealing N100m

    The police on Friday arraigned two fuel attendants who allegedly stole N100 million from a fuel station in an Ojo Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    The police charged Emmanuel Shonubi, 28, and Taofeek Ayobami, 30, with two counts of conspiracy and theft.

    They, however, pleaded not guilt.

    The Prosecution Counsel, Mr Simon Uche, alleged that the defendants committed the offence between January and September, while working at Pendote Oil and Gas Station.

    Uche said the defendants received N100 million and refused to remit same to the company.

    The offence, he said, contravened the provisions of sections 287 and 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2019.

    Read Also: Police arrest one-eyed man over serial murder of 15 people in Ogun

    Magistrate A.A Adesanya admitted the defendants to bail in the sum of N1 million each, with two sureties each in like sum.

    Adesanya ordered the court clerk to verify the details of sureties .

    He adjourned the case until Dec. 9 for mention.

    (NAN)

  • Embrace investigative, data-based Journalism, VC tells journalists

    The Vice Chancellor of Bayero University Kano (BUK), Prof. Muhammad Yahuza Bello has charged journalists to embrace investigative and data driven journalism, describing it as the only weapon to fight corruption and promote democracy.

    Yahuza, who stated this during the opening ceremony of a two-day experience sharing workshop on investigative journalism for Nigerian and Ghanaian journalists, lecturers and students of Mass Communication in Universities and Polytechnics said without investigative journalism, the nation’s nascent democracy will remain in jeopardy.

    Represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Prof Adamu Idris Sambo, he noted that BUK has spent millions to improve the Faculty of Communications so as to make it a world-class institution that can groom journalists that have the capacity to make serious impacts on the country’s democratic development.

    “Today’s activity is part of a series of activities being implemented in the Faculty with the support of the MacArthur Foundation which has given us a grant to strengthen the teaching and research of investigative and data driven journalism to reduce the prevalence of corruption in the country.

    “So far, with the grant, we have established a new multi studio digital radio station, set up 150 computer laboratory, gave scholarship support to about 100 undergraduates and post-graduates female students as well as supported a number of knowledge enhancement activities.

    “Most importantly, the grant has helped Nigeria through Bayero University that led to the process to review and unbundle the national Mass Communication curricular,” he added.

    According to him, the renewed curricular has been designed to change the face and process of communication studies in Nigeria to ensure that what is offered in Nigerian universities align with global Dynamics in Information Communication Technologies (ICT), as well as the changing realities in the country.
    Yahuza further stated that good journalism based on credibility, ethics and data is critical to national development, pointing out that, ‘we know that quality investigative journalism is Central in winning the current war against corruption in the country.”

    Prof. Umaru Pate, who is the of Post Graduate School of the University, commended the lead presenter in the workshop, Anas Aremeyaw Anas for his doggedness in the promotion of undercover and investigative journalism.

    Read Also: Buhari hails election of Prof Akinfeleye into World Journalism Education Council

    According to him, notable examples of the tangible impacts of the Ghana-born Anas works have contributed to the jailing of corrupt leaders in Ghana and across Africa.

    Pate noted: “Despite the danger he (Anas) and his team find themselves in, they continue to produce award-winning stories that change lives and change legislations, instutitions and departments.”

    He urged journalists and students of journalism in Nigeria to learn from Anas and remain committed in the cause of using their profession to impact positively on the society.

    Anas recalled his numerous encounters as an undercover journalist but regretted that issues of poverty among journalists in Africa have seriously hampered their performances.

    According to him, journalism is a hot kitchen which every professional should be ready to stay in, pointing out that Africa needs practical journalism that can expose corrupt leaders and correct the ills in the society.

  • Police arraign student for sexually molesting 14-year-old girl

    A 24-year-old student, Timothy Ideh, on Friday, appeared before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos, charged with indecent assault of a teenager.

    The Prosecutor, ASP. Ezekiel Ayorinde, told the court that the defendant committed the offence sometimes in August, at Ajah.

    He said that Ideh sexually assaulted the 14-year-old girl by touching her female organs.

    “The defendant, who came to visit his brother, called the girl inside his brother’s room and started kissing her, fondling her breasts and private part.

    “When the girl managed to escape, she told her mother what the defendant did to her.

    “This prompted the mother to report the matter to the police and the defendant was consequently arrested,” the prosecutor explained.

    He said that the alleged offence contravened Section 263 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the section prescribes a three-year jail term for sexually touching another person without consent.

    Read Also: OAU Sexual harrassment: Probe panel submits interim report

    Following his not guilty plea, the Magistrate, Mrs B. O. Osunsanmi, granted him bail in the sum of N200,000, with two sureties in like sum.

    Osunsanmi said that the sureties must be gainfully employed and show evidences of two years tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    She, thereafter, fixed further hearing for Nov. 4.

    (NAN)

  • Rochas Foundation College reduces out-of-school children in Sokoto — Commissioner

    Alhaji Bello Abubakar-Gwiwa, the Sokoto state Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education says the establishement of Rochas Foundation College has assisted in reducing out-of-school children in the state.

    Bello-Guiwa stated this on at the College Founders Day celebration in Shuni village of Dange-Shuni local government area of the state.

    The Commissioner who was represented by the Ministry’s Director of Establishment, Alhaji Muhammadu Bello, said education is the bedrock of meaningful development.

    He said Rochas Foundation has done right thing in the right direction on school noting that it would leave an indelible mark in the lives of the younger generations.

    “Establishment of Rochas Foundation College in Sokoto has played a significant role in depleting the number of out-of-school children in the state and this venture is worthy of emulation.

    ‘ Iam using this medium to call on well-to-do Nigerians to emulate this great gesture by helping the less-privileged members in the society.

    Read Also: Ganduje commissions N644m road In Sabon Gari, names it after Rochas Okorocha

    In his remark, Chairman of the occasion and former Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education in the state,Alhaji Jabbi Kilgori described education as more rewarding investment especially in the lives of the less-privileged members of the society.

    ” I want to commend the founder of this foundation who choose to improve the lives of the down trodden in the society by providing them with free education.

    Speaking also, former Nigerian Ambassador to Jordan and Dan Masanni Sokoto, Alhaji Ladan Shuni, expressed appreciation ti Rochas Okorocha, who saw the need to invest in the lives of the less-privileged across the country.

    “Rochas has chosen to better the lives of the children of the less-privileged through provision of free education.

    District Head of Shuni, Alhaji Jabbi Harande commended the founder stressing that the gesture will go a long way to better the lives of the people of the community.

    ” Our children are the majority of the beneficiaries of this foundation and we are grateful and promise to support the institution to succeed in our own little way.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Founders day of Rocha’s Foundation College was organised to mark the birthday of the founder of the College, Sen. Rochas Okorocha

    Rochas Foundation College has schools across 12 states of the Federation spread across the six geopolitical zones of the country.

    (NAN)

  • LASTMA vows to monitor, sanction erring officers

    The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) on Friday vowed to sanction erring officers of the authority following series of complaints from the motoring public.

    Comptroller Isaac Adetimiro, the Deputy General Manager of LASTMA, said in a statement in Lagos on Friday that the management was intensifying efforts to ensure that officers portray the image of the authority well.

    Adetimiro said in the statement signed by Mr Olumide Filade, Assistant Director, Public Affairs of the Authority, that the management had intensified efforts in the monitoring and sanctioning erring officers due to the numerous complaints it was receiving from the public.

    He recalled that earlier in the year, two LASTMA officers were summoned and disciplined because of misdemeanour of extorting a motorist who committed a traffic offence.

    Adetimiro said that LASTMA had continued to receive complaints and some were redressed either administratively or through the traffic mobile courts in favour of genuine complainants who had evidence.

    “No culprit will escape the sanction of the authority as three officers have already been reprimanded for extortion.

    “Several complaints involving about 20 LASTMA officers on extortion and high handedness had been received,” the LASTMA boss said.

    He said that the management of the organisation has concluded preliminary investigation on three officers on extortion and had been been reprimanded.

    Aderinto said that the three officers were awaiting further sanction through a disciplinary committee called Personnel Management Board.

    “This is according to the extant laws of the public service rules. The other 17 officers’ misdemeanours are under serious investigation for culpability.

    “We will continue to look inward in eradicating these misdemeanours by increasing our monitoring and surveillance on officers at their duty posts.

    Read Also: Driver accuses LASTMA officials of N10,000 extortion

    “This is to ensure that they are civil to the populace as well as eschew corruption in the discharge of their duties,” Adetimiro added.

    He, however, urged road users to obey traffic rules and regulations at all times to avoid incessant traffic gridlock on roads.

    Aderinto said that bad driving, street trading, pedestrians crossing in unauthorised places, illegal parking and waiting were factors that had compounded traffic situation in the state.

    He said that the majority of LASTMA officers were still diligent and upright in the discharge of their duties.

    Aderinto advised road users to be law abiding or be ready to face the full wrath of the law if caught flouting traffic regulations.

    The LASTMA boss said that the following hot-lines were available to the public for general complaints: Complaints (08129928503), Provost (08129928469), Surveillance (08129928490) and General Manager (08129928550).

    He said that the public could also follow the authority on social media such as Twitter -@followlastma, Facebook-@Ekolastma and Instagram-@Eko_lastma.

    (NAN)

  • Why we raided Abuja hotel – Customs

    The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), said operation of its officers and men at Fraiser Suit Hotel in Abuja was to remove some suspected vehicles hidden there.

    The Customs’ Public Relations Officer, Mr Joseph Attah made this known in a statement in Abuja on Thursday.

    Attah explained that the operation was carried out based on intelligence report that some exotic cars were taken to the hotel from cars mart to evade payment of duties.

    “Our attention has been drawn to misinformation making the rounds concerning visit of our operatives to an Abuja Hotel to remove suspected smuggled vehicles.

    “Our operatives relying on intelligence that owners of some exotic cars including bullet proof without duty payment quickly removed their vehicles from a car mart and took same to Frasier Hotel, Abuja.

    Read Also: Why we raided Frasier Hotel in Abuja – Customs

    “On arrival at the hotel, our operatives interacted with the manager and eventually left with four vehicles, leaving six behind, while expecting the manager to provide the keys to those six,’’ he explained.

    He said the manager of the hotel visited the customs headquarters Thursday morning and dropped a written undertaking to produce a Customs vehicle duty payment documents to support his claim that the vehicles were not smuggled.

    “We assured him of prompt release of the vehicles as soon as evidence of appropriate duty payments is presented.

    “Unfortunately, we woke up to mischievous misrepresentation, our operation has nothing to do with the guests in the hotel.

    “Some even went as far as saying that the operatives went from room to rooms waking up guests to come out for vehicle verification. That is untrue.’’

    He said that NCS did not engage in such thing and had no intention to start raiding hotels.

    Attah emphasised that Customs operatives never infringed on the rights and comfort of guests in the hotel.

    The spokesperson urged Nigerians to be wary of social media posts and also enjoined members of the public to discountenance the fabrication as Customs would continue to work in the interest of Nigerians. (NAN)